From Human Events:
As Michael Kinsley wrote in 1984, “a gaffe occurs not when a politician lies, but when he tells the truth.”
According to that definition, one prominent speaker at the Democratic National Convention, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, recently committed a gaffe when asked, “Can you honestly say that people are better off today than they were four years ago?”
“No,” admitted O’Malley, “but that’s not the question …”
By the next day, O’Malley had gotten on message, saying “We are clearly better off as a country …”
The same message has been repeated by a number of DNC spokespeople: We are better off today than we were four years ago.
BUNK.
According to registered voters, O’Malley got it right the first time. Asked in a recent Gallup poll, “Would you say you and your family are better off than four years ago, or not?” a majority (55 percent) answered, “No, not better off.” Just 42 percent disagreed.
The question harks back to 1980, when candidate Ronald Reagan pointed to Jimmy Carter’s “misery index,” the sum of the unemployment and inflation rates. Asked, “are you better off today than you were four years ago?” most voters answered “No” back then too: Reagan swept into office in a landslide.
How has the misery index fared under President Obama?
Since Obama was inaugurated, the unemployment rate has risen from 7.8 to 8.3 percent, and the inflation rate from zero to 1.4 percent. Added together, the misery index has increased from 7.8 to 9.7 percent. In another throwback to Jimmy Carter, since Obama’s inauguration, the price of gas has more than doubled, from $1.81 to $3.79 per gallon.
Are We Really Better Off than Four Years Ago?: From Human Events: As Michael Kinsley wrote in 1984, “a gaf… http://t.co/ATPZ8Mmm #tcot
So what are you trying to say? That the president is singlehandedly responsible for all the adverse numbers you present in your post? That the previous two, three, five, eight years have nothing to do with the present? Folks ought to stop throwing rocks cause there is plenty of plane to go around. Let’s all just man up!
No but he’s managed to make it worse. He said if he didn’t fix the mess, he’s be a one term president..OK…bye! He had 2 years where Dems controlled everything & what did we get? A mandated health care program more folks dislike than favor. Lots of stimulus money flowing that didn’t jumpstart the economy. High unemployement figures that aren’t budging. Lots of money thrown at bankrupt green companies. No to a pipeline we could use. Appears there was lots of hope and not much change in the right direction.
Are We Really Better Off than Four Years Ago? http://t.co/OVvAoDHR